Hajj of the Saintly Elders - 1

Story No. 1: (Episode)

Hazrat Zun Noon Misri R.A. says: “I was once performing tawaaf around the Ka’bah. Everybody’s eyes were fixed on the Ka’bah when suddenly a man approached the Ka’bah and prayed:
“O my Lord, I am Your poor servant who is astray from Your court and who has run away from Your door; I beg of You that thing which is nearest to You and I beg of You that I be allowed such worship of You which You love most: O Allah I beg of You through those saintly ones and Your Nabis that You grant me to drink the wine of Your love; O Lord remove from me the ignorance that prevents me from reaching knowledge (Ma’rifat) of You that I may eagerly reach unto You, and converse with You silently in my desire.”

Thereafter having said this prayer, he cried bitterly for a long while. He cried so much that his tears fell on the ground. Then suddenly he started laughing and went away. Hazrat Zun Noon Misri R.A. says: ” I followed him and thought within myself that this man must either be a perfect sufi or a madman. He went out of the mosque towards the outskirts of the town. He became aware of me and said: “What do you want? Why do you follow me; Please leave me alone.”
I said: “May Allah have mercy on you. What is your name?”
He replied: “Abdullah (servant of Allah).”
I asked: “What is your father’s name?”
He replied: “Abdullah (Servant of Allah)”
I asked: “Everyone is a servant of Allah. But what is your real name.”
He replied: “My father name me Sa’doon.”
I asked: “Are you then not he who is know as ‘Sa’doon, the mad one?”
He replied: “Yes, I am he.”
I asked: “Who are those saintly ones through whom you prayed to Allah?”
He replied: “They are the ones who walk towards Allah in a similar manner as he who walks that has made the attaining of Allah’s love their aim in life. And they have separated themselves from this world in the same manner as him whose heart has been snatched away.

Then he continued: O Zun Noon, I have heard you say that you would like to know the Asbaabe Ma’rifat.”
I replied: “Yes, for I want to benefit from your knowledge.”
Then he recited two couplets in Arabic:
The hearts or the Aarifeen are sunk in the remembrance of the Lord at all times;
And so does the heart become involved that near Him it makes it home.
And I have with such sincerity fallen love with Him;
That nothing can now remove from my heart the love I bear for Him. (Rowdh-23)

Story NO. 2: (Episode)

Hazrat Junaid Bahgpati R.A says: “Once I went for Haj all alone. I remained in Mecca for a while. It was my habit that whenever it became very dark at night, I used to perform tawaaf. On one occasion like this I was in tawaaf wen I heard a young girl singing this while performing tawaaf:
How much did I not conceal my love, yet it refuses t hide;
And now it has openly proclaimed itself aloud.
When my yearnings increase, my heart shakes on remembering Him;
And when I desire to be near Him, hastily does He oblige by being near me.
When He appears I die in Him and for His sake live again;
And indeed does He cares for me tat ecstasy do I feel.

Hazrat Junaid R.A. says: “I said to her: “O girl, do you not fear Allah? How can you recite such words in this Holy Place?”
She replied:
“If I did not fear Allah you would not see me here; for I would then have been lying down fast asleep.
Verily did the fear of Allah send me forth and brought; me here from my motherland.
His love is with me that flea about and its His love that; has caused me to be confused and sad.
Then she asked: “O Junaid, do you perform tawaaf of Allah or tawaaf of Baitullah?”
I replied: “I perform tawaaf round the Baitullah.” Then she turned her face to the heavens and exclaimed: ‘Subhanallah!’ How strange you are! A created being like a stone, performing tawaaf round a stone!’ Then she recited a further poem:
They seek Thy nearness while performing tawaaf round stones;
Indeed are their hearts harder than stones.
Indeed are they troubled and confused; as they imagine themselves near to Thee.
Were they true in their love, they would forget their own attributes; and only concern themselves with attribute of Thy love.

Hazrat Junaid R.A. says: “On hearing these words from her, I fell down unconscious and when I woke up she was gone. (Rowdh)

Story No. 3: (Episode)

Hazrat Bishr al Haafi R.A. says: “On the plain of Arafaat I once saw a man weeping uncontrollably and in this state he recited a few lines thus: “How Great is Allah” free from all faults; even though we should express thanks to Him by performing sujood on thorns and heated needles, then too we shall never be able to praise Him for one tenth of His favors. No, not one hundredth of one hundredth thereof.”

Then he quoted:
“Lord, how often have I not sinned against Thee and never remembered Thee while in my sin;
and Thou, O Lord, have ever remembered me in unseen ways.
How often, Lord have I not in ignorance removed the veil from myself when I sinned;
Yet in Thy grace Thou hast mercy on me and covered my misdeeds.

Hazrat Bishr R.A. says: “Thereafter I lost sight of him I inquired from people as to who he was and was told it was Hazrat Abu Ubaid Khawaas R.A. one of the great saints.” It is said about him that for seventy years he never lifted his face up to the sky and when asked the reason he said: “I am ashamed, how can I lift up this sinful face to such a great Benefactor?”

It is something to ponder about that such obedient servants of Allah can be so humble and that in spite of their continuous life in Ibaadat, they can still be so ashamed of themselves before Allah, while the real sinners have no shame. May Allah not deprive us on the day of Qiyaamah from looking at His Holy Countenance and bless us and benefit us through the blessings of His righteous servants. And may Allah cause us to tread in their shadow in this world and to be in the protection of their shadow in the hereafter. (Rowdh)

Story No. 4: (Episode)

Hazrat Maalik bin Dinaar R.A. says: “When I once went for Haj I met a young man walking on foot. With him he had no means of conveyance, no provisions and no water. I greeted him and he replied. Then I asked him: “Young man from where are you?”
He replied :”I come from Him.”
I asked : “Whither are you going?”
He replied : “I go to Him.”
I asked : “Where are your provisions for the journey?”
He replied : “It is under His guarantee.”
I said : “This is an arduous journey which cannot be undertaken without food and water for
The way. You must surely have something!”
He said :”When I started this journey I took with me five letters as food for the way. They
Are the Holy words of Allah: Kaaf, Haa, Yaa, Ain, Suaad.
I asked : “What do you mean?”
He replied : “Kaaf stands for Kaafi, which means He who is sufficient as Sustainer and Maintainer. Haa means Haadi, which means Guide. Yaa stands for Mo’addi, means He who grants refuge. Ain stands for Aalim meaning All-Knower. Suaad stands for Saadiq, which means He who carries out His promise. Hence how can such a person perish whose companion is Kaafi, Guide, Refuge, All-Knower and Truthful. With such companionship, what provisions are needed?”

Hazrat Maalik R.A. says : “Hearing him speak like that I intended giving my shirt to him but he refused it and said: “Dear elder, it is better to remain naked than to acquire worldly shirts. For all halaal possessions one shall be called to account and for every haraam possession one shall be punished.” When evening came he lifted his face up to heaven in prayer: “O Thou most Holy Lord who is pleased at the obedience of servants and who does not diminish in rank at the sins of others, grant to me that thing which pleases Thee-obedience. And forgive me for that which cause Thee no harm. (sin)”

Later when the Hajis put on ihraam, and the air re-echoed with their ‘Labbaik’, he remained silent. I asked him: “Why do you not recite the Talbiya?”
He replied: “I fear that on reciting ‘Labbaik’ a reply from on high may be heard ‘Laa Labbaik, Laa Saadaik’ Your cry is not heard and we do not turn to you in pleasure.”
Thereafter he disappeared from my sight and all along the way I did not see him. At last I saw him again at Mina. There he recited some lines of poetry:
Should that Beloved desire that I shed my blood, then He may shed it inside this haram as well as outside it.
By Allah, should my soul realize with whom it is connected?
Then instead of on my feet, on my face I shall gladly stand in His presence.
And blame me not for this love for Him, for if thou knowest the thing I see then surely will you never speak.
On the morn of Eid their sheep and goats they offer while my Lord my very life did sacrifice. Their Haj they have made and offer they brought. And I for His sake my life did give.

Then he recited this duaa: “O Lord, people have brought their animals to sacrifice for Thee. Lord, I have nothing except my life, which I offer to Thy door. Do kindly accept it.”
Immediately thereafter he uttered a piercing cry and fell down, dead. From the unseen came a voice: “This is Allah’s friend and Allah’s martyr.”

Hazrat Maalik R.A. says further: “I performed his ghusl and dressed him in his kaf’n and buried him. Throughout the night I was troubled, thinking about him. Then I feel asleep and saw him in a vision, I asked him: “What did Allah do to you?”
He replied: “I have gained a reward like that of the martyrs of the Battle of Badr-nay even more.”
I asked : “But why more than them?”
He replied: “They died at the swing of the swords of infidels while I died by the sword of Allah’s love.” (Rowdh)

This does not mean that his rank was higher than the Badr Martyrs. He could have excelled them in only one aspect. Because they were companions of Rasulullah s.a.w which puts them away above this young man.